Burrows and Maxwell back for NI's Portugal games

Burrows and Maxwell back for NI's Portugal games: Attention football fans! The Northern Ireland Women's National Team is gearing up for a crucial double-header against Portugal in the Euro 2025 qualifiers, and their squad is now set! Let's dive into the details.

Familiar Faces Return, Newcomers Remain

Northern Ireland manager Tanya Oxtoby has named her squad for the upcoming matches, bringing back some familiar faces and retaining a promising newcomer.

Burrows and Maxwell back for NI's Portugal games https://t.co/oReWDctKZi

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) May 17, 2024

Source: Twitter/BBC News

Cliftonville's Danielle Maxwell and Kelsie Burrows return to the squad after missing the previous fixtures. This means their teammate Louise McDaniel and Crusaders' Rachel McLaren won't be joining the team this time around.

However, there are some absences due to injury. Abbie Magee (Cliftonville), Connie Scofield (Derry City), Ellie Mason (Liverpool), and Sarah McFadden (Glasgow City) will miss out on this crucial double-header. Thankfully, Glentoran's Emily Wilson, who was a late addition last time, keeps her spot in the squad.

A Tough Test Awaits: Northern Ireland Faces Group Leaders Portugal

The Northern Ireland squad will travel to Leiria, Portugal, on May 31st for the first leg, with the return match set for Mourneview Park four days later. Portugal currently leads League B Group 3 after securing victories over Bosnia-Herzegovina and Malta. This means Tanya Oxtoby's team needs a strong performance to close the gap on the group leaders.

Northern Ireland Ready for the Challenge

Head coach Tanya Oxtoby acknowledges the difficulty of the upcoming matches. "Portugal, entering the group as top seeds, and Northern Ireland, as third seeds, will face a 'real challenge,'" she said. Despite facing a strong opponent, Oxtoby emphasizes the importance of these matches for her developing squad.

"We are a team in transition with many young players emerging, and these fixtures will truly test us," Oxtoby explained. "While results are important, a strong performance against a team like Portugal will be beneficial, boosting the team's confidence. In a high-performing environment, confidence is crucial."

Northern Ireland Women's Football Team Squad:

Here's a look at the full Northern Ireland Women's Football Team squad for the upcoming Euro 2025 qualifiers double-header against Portugal:

Goalkeepers:

• Burns (Reading)
• Harvey-Clifford (Crusaders Strikers)
• Perry (Montrose)

Defenders:

• Holloway (Birmingham City)
• Rebecca McKenna (Charlton Athletic)
• Laura Rafferty (Southampton)
• Demi Vance (Glentoran)
• Rachel Dugdale (Reading)
• Kelsie Burrows (Cliftonville)

Midfielders:

• Andrews (Glentoran)
• Caldwell (Glentoran)
• McCarron (Glentoran)
• Bell (Hearts, on loan from Rangers)
• Callaghan (Cliftonville)
• McPartlan (Burnley Women)

Forwards:

• Beattie (Glentoran)
• Wilson (Glentoran)
• Magill (Aston Villa)
• Wade (Reading)
• Halliday (Linfield)
• Howe (Athlone Town)
• Hamilton (Lewes)
• Maxwell (Cliftonville)

Northern Ireland fans, let's show our support for the team as they take on this challenge! Here's hoping for a strong performance and a positive outcome in these crucial Euro 2025 qualifiers.

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